From: Janne Pyykko, Finland Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2000 12:19:00 +0200 The first Leonid 2000 maximum out of three (estimated 17 NOV 7:50 UT) just happened here in Florida. We were lucky with clouds, they went away just before the action moment in the city of Jupiter. Counting five minute periods (in UT): 7:30-7:35 3 7:35 2 7:40 2 7:45 3 7:50 3 (estimated max) 7:55 3 8:00-8:05 4 8:05 2 8:10 5 8:15 6 (observed max) 8:20 5 8:25 3 8:30-8:35 1 8:35 2 8:40 3 8:45 4 8:50 1 8:55 1 Plus there was 3 taurids. By making fast conclusions, there was no sharp moment in this shower, but a little high moment happened 20-25 minutes after estimated maximum 8:15-8:20 UT. The best five minutes gave 6 meteors, which is 72 per hour. Because of the moon wearing a cap in my head I saw only one third of the sky (not counting those meteors that others saw, if I did not see), and not able to observe fainter meteors than +3 - +4 Mag (maybe there was as much fainter meteors as the brighter ones?), fast counting gives 72 x 3 x 2 = maximum about 400 per hour. This is twice as much as the 200 per hour that has been the most optimistic so far. ---- Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 18:04:15 +0200 The second Leonid night at Jupiter Florida was as clear as the first one. Observations in five minute periods (in UT): 7:05-7:10 8 7:10 8 7:15 2 7:20 5 7:25 9 7:30-7:35 4 7:35 2 7:40 3 7:45 7 7:50 4 (predicted max) 7:55 6 8:00-8:05 3 8:05 1 8:10 3 8:15 1 8:20 3 8:25 1 8:30-8:35 6 8:35 3 8:40 6 8:45 5 8:50 5 8:55 5 9:00-9:05 5 9:05 5 9:10 2 Comments: . I counted total 112 Leonids in 130 minutes as the previous night I counted total 53 in 90 minutes . the brightnesses was the same as in the previous night between -2 and +4, plus one -5 bolide . I did not find any peak at all at 17/18 Nov, but maybe three of them 7:00 UT, 7:50 UT, and 8:50 UT ??? (I should have started counting earlier) . as a whole this was 1,5-2 times stronger than the night 16/17